Entwined Fates
by C.Queen
Summary: Dealt blow after blow from the fates it doesn't look like Ban and Himiko can ever repair the damage and pain of their shared past. But when Himiko nearly kills herself in a fight against him what will Ban do? What wouldn't he do for another chance.


Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original ideas and characters in this and my other various fics. Thank you very much to all of you for reading and please review because I love to hear from you. Thanks again and have a great day.

Promises Made and Kept

"Himiko! Wait up!" Ban called out, following Himiko out of the Honky Tonk. They'd just been paid for their last job and Himiko wasn't one to stay and chat anywhere he was longer then necessary. The problem was he couldn't just let her go like this. "Damn it, Himiko. Will you stop for a minute?"

"What is it, Midou?" Himiko asked coldly, her hands going to her hips as she narrowed her eyes in his direction. Turning slightly to face him impatiently she thought to herself that whatever it was he had to say it better be quick. She wasn't in a good mood and nothing made a day worse then throwing Ban into it.

"It's late and I know that your bike is being repaired. Let me drop you off where ever it is you're going." Ban said, watching her as carefully as if she were a wounded animal. Then again in many ways they both were. Of course plenty of those wounds they'd inflicted on each other and just couldn't seem to be healed no matter how hard he tried. He didn't even know if she wanted to try. But either way, he couldn't just let her head out like this even though she wasn't going to like the idea. "Before you say no I'm just saying that it's really late, the weather's been bad this week and...well..get in the car okay?"

"I wouldn't get into your car if I was being chased by a serial rapist, Midou." Himiko shot back and turning on her heels began walking away as quickly as she could without looking like she was running. It could and would never be said that she'd ever run away from the likes of Ban Midou. She'd go to her grave laughing first. Ignoring her name being called she continued on her way, only a little disappointed when he didn't follow and try to force the issue. Not that she wanted to be around him, but because a ride would have been nice, Himiko assured herself mentally. Ban Midou was her enemy and an enemy he'd stay till the day one of them died. It didn't matter that he was trying to be nicer lately. It didn't matter one little bit...right?

* * *

"You're being awful quiet, Ban." Ginji noted two weeks later as he looked over at his partner with a thoughtful look on his face. Ban had barely said a word since they'd loaded into the car for their latest job and that wasn't like him. He should have been crowing over how much money they were going to be making and the mysterious cargo Hevn had been so vague about.

"I'm thinking." Was Ban's curt reply, the young man never taking his eyes off the road though his mind was a million miles away with a certain irritating female. "We'll be dealing with some people we've never faced who are new to the business. With the kind of sketchy information she gave us we should expect the worse." Ban reminded Ginji, the excuse a believable one which would hopefully satisfy his blonde partner.

"And the fact that Miss Himiko is with them?" Ginji prompted, pretty sure that that was the root of the problem. Or more accurately the reason Ban wasn't happy about this job. Ban hated jobs that put them against Himiko, even if he'd never said so.

"Makes them that more dangerous." Was Ban's stiff reply. He didn't want to think about that. He wanted to think of anything but that.

* * *

"I could fight her you know." Ginji offered after a few minutes of silence. "I really don't mind, Ban. I mean you must be sick of inhaling her poisons now and I promise to watch our for that ape one she keeps getting me with." He added jokingly, hoping for a smile at least. When he didn't get it he wasn't even surprised. Ban hadn't been in a great mood recently, this was just one more drop in the bucket. He hadn't been able to figure out what was wrong either but was pretty sure he knew someone who was a big part of it.

"She won't fight you. As soon as she sees me it'll be like a frickin bull spotting a huge red bulls-eye. She'll barely glance in your direction before she'll go about trying to kill me. Again." Ban replied bluntly, not sugar coating it in the least. No matter how many times he thought he and Himiko were making progress it always came down to the fact that her brother was dead and it was his fault. By his hands. Nothing could ever change that.

"True...but we've all been working together a lot more, right? I mean after you've worked with a team so many times killing your teammates would seem wrong, right? So maybe by now Miss. Himiko won't want to kill you so much as she used to. I think she's softened around you a bit." Ginji protested, already seeing from Ban's face that his words were falling on deaf ears.

"Himiko wouldn't offer me her spit if I was dying of thirst." Was Ban's reply, Ginji too disgusted at the idea to argue.

* * *

An hour later

"This is the end for you, Ban Midou!" Himiko snarled as she hurled some of her poison in her enemy's direction, cursing when he simply jumped out of the way. Damn it. If he didn't know her poisons and tricks so well she would have beaten him long ago. But she refused to lose to him again. She ALWAYS lost to him and she couldn't stand another loss. Having to explain to another client why they wouldn't be getting their shipment because she hadn't been tough enough, skilled enough to keep the GetBackers from taking it from her. They'd come out of no where damn it. How the hell had they known where they'd planned to stop for the extra gas they'd needed for the long trip? And why the hell did Ban have to be here?

"Not today, kiddo." Ban said as he landed, his pose defensive as he stared at her intently through his colored lenses. Damn, she was in a piss poor mood tonight. Almost as rotten as his. "Why don't you just give up now and give us the cargo? Save yourself the trouble of trying to stop us. Again." Ban taunted, knowing that her pride was one of his best weapons against her. There was nothing she hated more then him treating her like an inexperienced brat. Which she was, he thought, biting back an affectionate smile as she watched her face contort in fury.

"I'm not going to lose this time!" She yelled back furiously, pulling out her seventh bottle and trump card which would drastically improve her speed so that she could keep up with Ban. Of course it would also take a lot out of her in the long run but at the moment she didn't give a damn about that. All that mattered was wiping that smirk off his face.

* * *

"Jesus, Himiko! Not that one!" Ban yelled but it was already to late. She'd inhaled her little potion and was now coming at him at twice her normal speed which was pretty damn fast to begin with. Which now meant that she was landing some serious blows. Some serious and painful blows. Now he had to go to working simply dodging them instead of just playing around with her so that she'd think she was actually getting somewhere. Some might call it cruel to let her think she was closer to his level then she actually was but he knew his girl. If she realized he could have snapped her like a toothpick over a dozen times now it would just hurt her that much more. She needed to believe in herself because that was the only person Himiko was willing to count on anymore. So he'd play the game and then end it, hopefully with the most minimal of damage to Himiko. If she'd let him, Ban thought with a curse as he watched her inhale more of the stuff. "God damn it, Himiko! Quit inhaling that stuff!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Himiko yelled out, deliberately doing it again even though her head was already start to swim with the effects. Going at him again she smiled in victory. She was landing blows now and today was going to be the day. The day she beat him.

"You can't do your victory dance if you die killing me, Himiko!" Ban yelled back, an edge of fear in his words. She was taking big gulps of that stuff, brief inhalations were bad enough. "Stop it now or I'll stop you myself."

"No!" Himiko shot back, lifting the bottle, not caring that even she knew inhaling more could very well be sure death. She never got a chance to open and breath because Ban's hand appeared out of seemingly nowhere, his fingers wrapping around the bottle and crushing it, sending broken glass and the potion flying through the air. His other hand coming around to cover her mouth and nose Himiko felt herself being dragged against Ban's chest. Drawing back her elbow Himiko bashed it into his side but he wouldn't let go. Keeping at it she didn't even realize that the blows were slowly becoming sluggish. She didn't even realize she was losing conscious until her legs buckled and Ban's bloodied hand came around to anchor her against him, his cursing her out the last thing she heard.

* * *

"Oh, Himiko..do you want me dead that much?" Ban whispered when she went completely limp against him. Dropping his hand from her face he shifted position, lifting her into his arms and carrying her away from the glass and the debris from their fight. Setting her down an some grass with the moon as his only light Ban checked her pulse and gave a sigh of relief when he found it weak but steady. "Foolish brat. You stupid, stupid, BRAT!"

"Ban?" Came Ginji's voice and Ban looked over to see Ginji looking a little worse for where but okay. "Is Himiko okay?"

"She will." Ban said as he looked back at Himiko. "She can't die until I do. It's what she lives for."

"I think that's just what she tells herself, Ban." Was Ginji's quiet reply. "I put the cargo in the car...are we taking her back with us? I don't think we can really leave her out here after all. There's enough room and everything."

"No." Ban said as he reached into his pocket and pulling out his keys threw them over to Ginji. "You take the cargo back to Hevn. I'm going to stay here."

"But you never let me drive. Ever. Even after you taught me how to drive with that rental car. You wouldn't even let me practice in yours. Besides, wouldn't it make more sense for us to take her with us? I mean how else are the two of you going to get back?" Ginji asked uncertainly, not liking the tone of voice Ban was using at all. Besides that the car was Ban's baby. His prized possession. Ban never let that car out of his sight, much less put its safety into the hands of even his best friend. "Ban?"

* * *

"She nearly killed herself trying to get me this time, Ginji. This has got to stop before she does something like that again." Ban said as he looked his best friend square in the eyes. "So go. Don't worry about me. Get the money and be sure to pay some of our tab okay? Natsumi can't keep giving us handouts behind Paul's back."

"I'll wait up for you, Ban. So you better not be too late, okay?" Ginji said with a forced smile on his usually sunny face. He didn't like this. He didn't like this one little bit.

"All right." Ban agreed with a curt nod. "Now get out of here, okay?"

"Okay, Ban." Ginji said with a nod. "See ya soon, buddy of mine." Turning on his heels Ginji had only taken a couple steps before he heard Ban call his name. Spinning around Ginji smiled hopefully, hoping to hear Ban say that he'd changed his mind about the ride. "Yeah?"

"If you put so much as a scratch on my car I will kill you, Ginji. Don't think I won't!"

"I'll do my very best!" Ginji called out, not having got the answer he'd wanted but at least this was something. At least this suggested Ban wasn't as out of it as he'd thought. "Anything else?"

"Nope, now get your scrawny ass out of here!"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya. Later, Ban."

* * *

Slowly coming awake Himiko was aware of having a splitting headache, a body that seemed to weigh a ton and the fact that there was someone sitting beside her. She didn't even have to open her eyes to know it was him. Damn.

"So you're awake. Playing possum, Himiko or did it take so much out of you that you can't even open your eyes?" Came his voice, unusually serious, as if he was asking out of concern rather then just to rub it in that he'd beaten her again.

Just to prove him wrong Himiko forced her eyes open, her senses taking in the feel of grass under her, the smells of a forest crossing her nose. God it hurt even to breath. Turning her head, which took her ten times longer then it should Himiko looked up at Ban who sat there, those eyes of his hidden behind his shades as always. Hiding whatever lay in their depths, if anything, Himiko thought bitterly.

"You'd do just about anything to spite me, wouldn't you? You look like death not even warmed over but you'll open your eyes if I tell you that you can't. You'll poison yourself repeatedly if I tell you not to. You'd kill yourself if it meant there was a chance you'd take me with you. My God, Himiko. Is there nothing you won't do if it means it will hurt me?" Ban demanded to know, his voice cold and getting louder with every word so that he was yelling at her now. "My death isn't going to bring him back or change anything. When are you going to get that through your thick skull?"

"When..you're..dead." Himiko choked out, the words burning her throat as she struggled just to say that one sentence.

* * *

"And then what will you do, Himiko? What will you do when I'm dead?" Ban wanted to know and suddenly he was in her face, his arms on either side of her as he braced himself above her, their faces a breath apart. "What will keep you going when that happens? What good will it do when it can't change anything. All it will do is take away your reason for living. It won't bring him back, Himiko! If it could then I'd have let you kill me years ago. I loved him too and if you think you're the only one who suffered then you're even stupider then you behave most of the time. I did what I had to do, what he wanted me to do. Do you think I don't suffer worse then any hell, knowing what I did? Knowing what it costed both of us?" His breath coming out in ragged pants Ban just wanted to shake her.

"You..took him..from me." Himiko whispered, tears gathering in her eyes. "He was..all I had."

* * *

"No, he wasn't. You had me, Himiko. You had me but you wouldn't let me near you, much less help you. You still won't. The only thing I can do for you anymore is live so that you'll live too. So that you won't leave me too." Ban whispered, watching her eyes go wide, the tears spilling over as she tried to shake her head in denial. Big surprise, when had she ever? Disgusted with the both of them Ban moved away, getting to his feet in one smooth motion. Walking a few steps away Ban simply stood there, his head slightly bowed as he concentrated on his breathing. This wasn't what he'd meant to say. This wasn't the way he'd wanted things to go.

Laying there, unable to move Himiko wished she could block his words, that she could run away from them but her body trapped her there, his words ringing in her ears. he'd meant them. As much as she wanted to believe that he was just lying, manipulating her emotions she knew he wasn't. He would never say those things to her. Not even in an attempt to lie his way out of responsibility. "You have..so many people...one less...wouldn't matter." She finally said, thinking of how many times she'd walked into the Honky Tonk and looking at Ban with everyone felt waves of longing and jealousy. For all his bickering and name calling Ginji's old friends were now Ban's friends too and they were a all a unit, a family made up of the best of friends. The way she'd once been with her brother and Ban. A bond that she'd thought couldn't ever be broken.

* * *

"There's only one you, Himiko." Ban pointed out, tipping his head up to look at the sky, the beauty of it. There was so little beauty in his world sometimes. Like now, knowing that she was so alone. He could hear the pain and longing in her voice, even if she couldn't. Knowing he was a part of that pain was as painful as her words. "Do you think if I lost Ginji there wouldn't be a hole in my life that could never be replaced? Do you think that if Monkey boy died tomorrow Madoka would just shrug her shoulder and find someone else? That Threadhead wouldn't die to protect that idiot Juubei if he was in trouble? Risk dying if it meant keeping the person he loves most safe? No one can be replaced, Himiko. Once they're gone there will always be a hole where that person was. That's the way it should be. No one should ever be replaceable. No one."

"Even...Jackal?" Himiko asked, huskily, her strength returning to the point where she could at least speak a sentence without wincing in pain.

"Like we could ever find another guy like that bastard." Ban said with a shake of his head as he looked over at her, wishing he could sit beside her without causing her to lash out. But she would, she always did when he tried to get closer. That was just the way things were now. He couldn't so much as take her hand without her snapping like he'd try to knife her in the back.

* * *

"Why...why did it have to be you?" Himiko finally asked, staring up at the night sky. "Of all the people in the world..why did he have to ask you?"

"Because I was the only one around to do it. His last words were your name, Himiko. All he could think about was you. He wanted me to take care of you. Go figure that I could kill him like he asked..but I couldn't take care of you the way I promised." Ban said, pulling her brother's lighter out of his pocket to light the cigarette he'd pulled from his other. Lighting it up he took a long drag, watching the smoke swirl in front of him.

"Those are going to kill you, you know."

"And your point would be? I'd thing a long, painful death from smoking too much would appeal to you, Himiko." Ban pointed out with a grin that was sad and ironic as he blew out some more smoke.

"If I...if I don't use the seventh vial to fight you again...you've got to cut back on your cigarettes by half. At the very least you need the money you'll save." Himiko said as she watched the smoke rise into the night before dissipating. If he meant what he's said earlier, she had a lot of things to think about. He needed to be alive once she reached her conclusions.

"That a promise, Himiko?"

"I will if you will."

"Fine then. It's a deal."


End file.
